BRIGHTON and Hove councillors were paid a record amount last year during the pandemic.

That is according to newly released data for the financial year ending in April 2021.

An agreed pay rise in 2018 came into full effect, meaning almost £900,000 was given in allowances and expenses to councillors.

All of them now receive a basic salary of £13,360.60.

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That is a 10.25 per cent increase from the previous salary of £12,117.24, which representatives received in the financial year up to April 2019. That is the last comparable year as the financial year ending April 2020 included the election, with changes in councillors.

Councillors who hold key roles on committees receive special allowances.

The city's highest-paid councillor is Green Party leader Phelim Mac Cafferty, who earned £40,258.

He is the current leader of Brighton and Hove City Council.

Ex-Labour leader Nancy Platts was the second most paid, earning £32,088.

She also served as leader of the city council during the period.

A council spokesman said: “Councillors do not set their own allowances. They are recommended by an independent body called the Independent Renumeration Panel.

“Changes have come into effect as a result of a decision made in 2018, recommending an alteration to the Members Allowances Scheme.

"At this time, the Panel reviewed allowances in Brighton and Hove and recommended a redistribution, and advised that increases were made in line with inflationary pay increases for local government staff.

“The Basic Allowance for councillors in 2019 was set at £13,002, which came into effect after the 2019 local elections.

“An increase of 2.75 per cent was applied without further councillor agreement to £13,360 in September 2020, as part of the member allowances scheme agreed in December 2018.

“The panel has not recommended a percentage increase in 2021. This reflects the nationally agreed position for this financial year.

“The figures which suggest a larger increase are a reflection of the new allowances being put in place for a full financial year, as councillors who were re-elected in May 2019 were paid at the previous allowance level for April 2019.”